Latch for railway-car couplings



May' 8, 1923.

w. F. sHAFFER ET AL LATCH 'FOR RAILWAY CAR COUPLINGS Filed Abril l. 1922 @Supplied with' br-'9y d3. .t

Securingthe'dawhead, oi" hook and* a Cotter Patented May 8,;

y residingfeft Jackson," in the .ef f gquecincatlon,

.,. heads, or coupling hooks.;

'y Couplfinge axe] commonly pinion lloldingftliefkeyfinplce l Ybese eresia iCrM i 4throng gence of the; erlnnen'assembhng' `the" con- Workmen,

' y Nmeral 10 `represents drgitfliegcl or y:

Y hook assembled-.n -1.,S..beer`1.ne 11.2 0.11.` a1 m11- ent, invention ftol' plfoilide" @perfectly safe latcliy- Wliieli'antometic'nlly.locks the key,

' en@ embodiment 011th@ inventions 11,1115- .tra-ted 1n the accompanying dijawing; land @Figure 1 is m plenvieyv 'of i di'ewliead with its key a'ndlthe Qlteh 'reinoved 5f' unet 2, along' l liney ,O Fidn're 2 Eiger@ e 1S i919. plan vie'ffffh. l'eteh in inp'er'atifve polsition'g". l y y 4feure .5, is enelevtmn- Seen .(111, the axial di'ectien .of itsrvt'runnionsr.ind also;v irren-tipifi-y t locked position; and

parallel Side edges 15, It is providedfwith a turned up end 16 ornfiing` a stopn one direction and an aperture `17 attliel other.

end, an inner face .18 ol'ivvhiclnv is parallel to the side 19 of lthe bearing or in otherr Words the distance between the face 18 vand the stop 16 on thekey is approximately the 'Het' keys fonl e y one' @nid 21; pf" the legen. ism@ f be impossible foi' tlie k fliet posities es geen es Figura 5eme; Teide feies sdafstofmztke it-lroegde than the up x ions; I2 1' 'than I e.

feci@ 2 .inthe aperte@ iiffffgthkey; 1n this meneer, when theme11 .the direction of ari-6W seat and When the key 1s pushedlionieln j the seat the latch -20 is ydropped fntofth'e 1 aperture 17 with its be'yeled fece 2614,19; l lproximately perpendicular..- fDrectly tlie u y laten has `been lneleaseddt twilly turn anto-. meticallv actuated by its preponderance into lthe position Shownin Figui-ee with the en@ l een: per. mentr4 i midil for" L naturally lockthe key in its seat without j any eXtra precaution .being taken by the workmen. Should subsequently the latch y turn out of this position, actuated by shocks or vibrations during travel and take the pos ition indicated in Figure 5, it will still prevent the key from comingout, as the lugs 29 will now extend above and below the key seat 9 in the bearing l1.

Having' thus described the invention, what 1s claimed as new is:

. l. An automatic latch for a drawhead l key, said latch comprising an oscillable the latchl and bearing` for .nions being provided in the key with their member having pivoted connection with said key, the axis ot oscillation lying in the length direction of' the key, and said member having preponderance to one side of said axis.

2. The combination with ay cross key for a drawhead; of a latch for said key, trunnions on said latch, an aperture for said trunaXis in the length direction oit the key, the length of the latch being greater than the height 0f the key seat, and preponderance being provided to one end of the latch.

3. rllhe combination with a cross key for a drawhead; oa latch for said key, trunnions on said latch, an aperture Llior the latch and bearing for said trunnions being provided in the key with their axis in the length direction of the key, the length ot the latch being greater than the height 0f the key seat, and preponderance being provided to one end of the latch, the thickness oit the ends of the latch corresponding to that ot said key.

4c. The combination with a cross key tor a drawhead; of alatch for said key, trunnions on said latch, an aperture for the latch and bearing for said trunnions being provided in the key with their aXis in the length direction of the key, the length oi" the latch being greater than the height `of the key seat, the thickness of the ends of said latch being substantially the same as that ot said key, one end of said latch being'dove-tailed in the plane of its sides to give preponderance to said last mentionedend and said aperture in the key being substantially ol the same contour as that of the latch.

5. The combination with a cross key for a drawhead; of a latch for said key, trunnions on said latch, an aperture for the latch and bearing for said trunnions being lprovided .in the key with their axis in the length direction ot thekey, the `length of the latch being greater than the height of the key seat, the

thickness of the ends or said latch being substantially the same as that of said key, one end of said latch being dove-tailed in the plane of its sides tol give preponderance to said lastrmentioned end `and said yaperture in the key being substantially of said key, trunnions on said latch, an aperture for the latchand bearing for said trun-v nions being provided in the key" with their a-Xis in the length direction 'of the key, the length of the latch being greater than the heigl'it or the key seat, the thickness of the ends of said latch being substantially the same as thaty or said key, one end olf said latch being dove-tailed inthe plane of its sides to give preponderance to said last menybeing formed on said key and said end to prevent the raising of that end beyond the top surface of said key, and a inedially positioned tapered lug on each side et said latch providing greater thickness across said lugs than the height of said keyseat.

. tioned end, said aperture in the key being of the same contour as that ofthe latch, stops- 7. `rThe combination with a cross key for a drawhead having a key seat; of a latch for said key, trunnions on said latch, an aperture for the latch and bearing for said trunnions being provided in the key with their axis in the length direction of the key, the thickness ot the latch being greater; than the height of the key seat, and preponderance beingl provided to one end of the latch.

8. The combination with la cross key for a drawhead having a key seat, of a latch lier said key, trunnions on said latch, an aperture for the latch and bearing for said trunnions being provided in the key with their axis in the length direction of the key, the length and thickness respectively of the latch being greater than the height of the key seat,

and preponderance'being provided to one end of the latch.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signa-k tures.

WILLIAM F. SHAFFER. [11s.] BLAKE CRUTCHFIELD. [ne] ioe 

